Self-restoring telephone.



Patented Sept. 30, I902.

No. 7l0,065.

L. .1. LOEFFLER. SELF mzsronma TELEPHONE. (Application filed Oct. 28, 1901,) v

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

I WITNIESSES: INVENTOR I i I logzk'fiaeff/er I BY J 4 ATTORNEY m: Noams l nens ca. momdmoq wnsumcn'om o c.

UN TED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LOUIS J. LOEFFLER, OFN'EW YORK, N. Y.

FSELF-RESTORING TELEPHONE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 710,065, dated September 30, 1902'.-

Application filed October 23, 1901. Serial No. 79,740. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LOUIS J. LOEFFLER, a citizen of the United States, residing in Manhattan borough, New York city, in the county and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Self-Restoring Telephones, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a telephone by which call and talking circuits are readily established and broken as required; and the invention resides in the novel' features of construction set forth in the following specification and claims and illustrated in the annexed drawings, in which- Figure 1 shows a receiver hanging on its hook and the contacts open. Fig. 2 is a section along mm, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a section along yy, Fig. 1, the contacts being open. Fig. 4 is a View like Fig. 3, showing the signalingcircuit closed. Fig. 5 is a view like Figs. 3 and 4, showing the talking-circuit closed. Figs. 6 and 7 are diagrams for illustrating the nature and relations of the circuits which are operated by the apparatus disclosed.

This telephone is provided with a call-bell, a transmitter, and a receiver, which are well known. Bymeans of this invention a circuit is closed'by pressing a push-button, which rings a call-bell, and when the pressure is removed from the push-button another circuit is closed, which is connected to the receiver of a telephone situated at another end or part of the circuit.

To a cover of the telephone are fastened a series of spring-strips a. For each one of these spring-strips is provided a push-button or handle I). When any one of the push-buttons is pressed, a contact is closed between one of the spring-strips a and the signal-circuit bar 0, Fig. 4, which closes the circuit through circuit or signal wire 5 to a call-bell or signal in the telephone situated in a different locality and back through the circuitwire 6 to the spring-strips.

When the pressure is removed from the push-button, the free end of the respective spring-stripis engaged by an oscillating pawl or catch d, Fig. 5, which closes the talkingcircuit through wire 7 to the receiver of atelephone in a difierent locality and back through the circuit-wire (3 to the spring-strip. The

oscillating pawl is provided with the arm 2, which is engaged by a nosefon the lever g. A spring h tends to push the arm against the nose of the lever.

. When not in use, the receiver 11 is hung on the hook of the lever g, Fig. 1, and depresses the lever, bringing the nose in contact with the arm of the pawl, pushing it back against the spring h, which releases the spring-strip a, thereby opening the circuit through wire 7 and wire 6, Fig. 3. When the receiver qlis removed from the hook, the lever freed from such weight is pulled up by the action of springj, thus bringing the nose of the lever out of engagement with the arm of the pawl, which is pushed forward by the spring h to be in line with the spring-strip a, when pushed inby depressing one of the buttons. Each of the spring-strips is provided with a circuitwire, so that communication can be held with a series of telephones in different localities.

It is noticed that the line contact-spring a is normally out of contact with both the signal-wire terminal 0 and the talking-wire terminal (1. These terminals are so spaced that when the contact touches or closes at either terminal 0 or d it is out of contact with the other terminal (1 or c.

The button or, actuator 19 moves or holds the contact a in touch with terminal 0, and the contact is then clear of terminal d, while said terminal or catch d holds the contact in touch with the other circuit when released by the button or handle I).

In Fig. 6 are shown two instruments, the one at the right calling the one at the left, or, in other words, the button Z) at the right having been moved to contact a to 0, so that the current or circuit is closed along 5 and 14 to 12", actuating the call or buzzer 11" at the left and continuing on through 10 and 9" to lever g and wires 8 and 6 back to spring a and point or bar 0. 7

After the call is made the button I) at the right is released, and spring a, now cuts off or opens the call-circuit at c, Fig. 7, and closes the talking-circuit at d, and the two receivers 2' and 1 being taken off the hooks g and g at the right and left hand instruments the talking-circuit is closed at d 0. along wires 6 and 8 to lever g" and wire 17 to receiver 1'" and transmitter18" along wire 14 to transmitter 18 and receiveri to wire 16 and contact d (1.

Of course the required signaling and talking batteries are included in or provided for the respective circuits.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A signal-wire terminal, a swinging catch forming a talking-wire terminal, a spring for moving the catch to engaging position, an arm carried by the catch, a releasing nose or incline for the catch made to engage the arm, a weight-actuated lever on which said incline is mounted, a contact-spring made to nor mally move clear of the terminals, and a button or handle for moving the contact to the signal terminal, said contact spring being adapted for engagement by the catch when released to clear the signalterminal substantially as described.

2. A swingingspring-pressed catch forming a talking-circuit terminal and having an inclined and shoulder portion, a push-button and line contact-spring made to contact with the incline to retract or pass the catch and to be held by or make talking contact with the shoulder when the push-button is freed, a ringing-circuit bar with which the contactspring closes when pressed by the button past or clear of the shoulder, said spring being made to return to and be held by the shoulder clear of the ringing-circuit on the release of the button, a receiver-carrying hook or lever having a nose, and an arm on the swinging catch engaged by the nose for forcing the catch to release the line contact-spring, the latter being made to normally spring away from or clear both the ringing and talking circuits substantially as described.

3. A signal-wire terminal and a talkingwire terminal combined with a contact-spring normally out of contact with both terminals and made to contact with either terminal while clear of the other terminal, means for causingthe engagementofsaid contact-spring with one of said terminals, a pawl engaging the contact-spring for retaining the same in engagement with the other of said terminals, a spring engaging said pawl for retaining it in engagement with the said contact-spring, an arm connected with said pawl, a lever, and a nose carried by the lever and engaging the said arm for releasing the pawl from its engagement with the said contact-spring.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

LOUIS J. LOEFFLER.

Witnesses:

CHAS. E. POENSGEN, E. F. KASTENHUBER. 

